I have never been so exposed and dependent on social medias since I started my exchange term here at UBC in Vancouver. Everything from the total amount of groups I am part of on Facebook, to the frequency I check my Swedish friends’ pictures on Instagram has increased vastly. There are heaps of social medias out there but so far I’ve only joined the two mentioned, and it has always been with a touch of reluctance; e.g. I have never posted a status update and rarely press “like”. The reason, well I guess it’s a combination of feeling no need in doing so, together with my astonishment/repugnance of people who post the most questionable status updates.

Social media has no doubt increased the social experiences both online and offline, and it has many advantages that I find very useful. I love the fact that you can keep contact with friends in distant places and how easily you can arrange activities, but I find some of the social impacts that come with it worrying. What I found as most interesting is the rise of comparisons that I believe has emerged through the usage of social medias such as Facebook. In my circle of friends, having around 500 friends is seen as normal, and I know many that have many more than that. This makes the information you’re exposed to daily massive. This massive flow of information has increased the possibility to compare oneself with others, and since the personal information posted tend to be positive and sometimes even perceived as bragging, you are more likely to feel less of yourself and become anxious. Being in my early twenties, constantly thinking of my choice of path, I occasionally feel that Facebook contributes to an even more puzzled mind. I often end up comparing with other achievements and choices, even though I try to remind myself not to. Of course it can also be motivating, but unfortunately I believe it more often has a negative effect. Comparisons lie in our nature but we are not used to comparing ourselves with so many “successful” people that comes as an effect of e.g. unilateral Facebook.